Pam@charter-system.org

Charter System Foundation

Supporting Charter Systems in Georgia

Leadership

The Foundation is governed board of directors comprised of seven charter system superintendents chosen by charter systems affiliated with the Foundation. Dr. Michele Taylor (Calhoun City Schools) serves as the chair and Dr. Morris Leis (Coffee County Schools) serves as the vice-chair. Eric Arena serves as the Executive Director and Pam Tallmadge serves as the Executive Assistant.

STAFF

Eric Arena
Executive Director

Bio

404.808.6670
Eric@charter-system.org

Pam Tallmadge
Executive Assistant

About Pam

770.354.7653
Pam@charter-system.org

Board Members

Taylor headshot
Dr. Michele Taylor (Chair)
Calhoun City
Bio
Dr. Leis
Dr. Morris Leis (Vice Chair)
Coffee County
Bio
Dr. Kristie Brooks (Executive Board)
Baldwin County
Bio
Dr. Mark Albertus
Carrollton City School
Bio
Dr. Marc Feuerbach
Cartersville City
Bio
Dr. Bubba Longgrear
Candler County
Bio

Consultants

Susan Avant
susan.avant@yahoo.com
Former Assistant Superintendent / Chief Academic Officer
 Liberty County Schools
Bio

Career Development Team

Irene Munn
irene@themunnfirm.com
CEO, The Munn Firm
Bio
Eric Waters
ericwaters499@yahoo.com
Retired CEO of the Floyd County Schools College & Career Academy
Bio
Eric Arena

Mr. Eric Arena has served as Superintendent of Putnam County for over 13 years, leading with a steadfast commitment to educational excellence and meaningful community engagement. Under his leadership, the district was honored with the prestigious Georgia Charter System Leadership Award, recognizing a deep dedication to innovation and student success.

Eric is a recipient of the President’s Award and has contributed to statewide education policy and advocacy as a past board member of the Charter System Foundation. He currently serves on the board of the Georgia Writers Museum, where he continues to champion literacy and the arts.

His past civic involvement includes board service with the Putnam County Board of Health, the Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, and other initiatives supporting regional development and community wellness. With an enduring passion for public education and community impact, Mr. Arena remains a respected and influential leader across Georgia’s educational landscape.

Pam Tallmadge, Executive Assistant for the Charter System Foundation has held this position from the inception of the organization in June of 2013. Prior to this position, she worked in her community mainly working within the education system to improve the educational environment for the children of DeKalb County and the State of Georgia. Pam’s past successes, in working with non-profit organizations, include the Dunwoody High School Community Association as a co-founder in 2000. She currently is an active Board member and serves as the organization’s Treasurer. Additionally, Pam was Co-Director and co-developer of the Dekalb County Public Schools Foundation. One of her most important areas of community educational work came because of the active role she played as one of three authors of the first conversion charter school in the State of Georgia, Peachtree Charter Middle School. The conversion school was effective after community input and State approval in the school year starting in 2001. Pam was the Governance Chair at Peachtree Middle School for two terms and currently sits on their foundation board as the community advisor. For several years, she assessed charter school petitions for the Georgia Department of Education advising the state in starting new charter schools in Georgia.

Pam is currently serving in her second term as an elected City Council member for the City of Dunwoody.    

Pam graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Music Education. Is married, has three grown boys who look for her “motherly advise” even when not requested. Is an active “gym rat” working out five days of the week. She enjoys time cooking and spending time at the beach.   

Dr. Taylor has served as superintendent of Calhoun City Schools for the past fourteen years. She was selected as Georgia Superintendent of the Year in 2014 and was a finalist for the National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators.

Taylor is proud to lead Calhoun City Schools, the 2016 Charter System of the Year. CCS has one of the highest district graduation rates at 100%. Dr. Taylor is a fervent supporter of Calhoun City Schools and also a product, graduating from Calhoun High School in 1986. She attained her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Shorter College and earned a master’s degree from West Georgia College with specialist and doctorate degrees in educational leadership from Sarasota University. Taylor was recognized by her peers as Teacher of the Year in 1996 and as Gordon County’s Young Careerist of the Year by the Calhoun Business and Professional Women in 1997.

Taylor is a lifelong learner who is active in her local community and serves in several capacities at the state and national level. She has been an educational leadership adjunct professor for Lincoln Memorial University, Valdosta State University, Berry College and Piedmont College. She is past president of the Calhoun Gordon Council for a Literate Community and has served on the Gordon County Chamber Board of Directors, United Way Board of Directors and Allocations Panel, Big Brothers / Big Sisters Board, Gordon Calhoun Arts Council and is a member of Alpha Delta Kappa. She has served as president of the Calhoun Kiwanis Club and is a current member and Paul Harris Fellow with the Calhoun Rotary Club. She has served as chairman of Leadership Calhoun / Gordon County’s steering committee for more than ten years. Additionally, Dr. Taylor serves as past president for the Georgia School Superintendents’ Association. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders and is a member of the American Association of School Administrators’ Governing Board. She is a member of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators and has served on their Foundation Board of Trustees since 2013. She is part of the Schlechty Center’s Superintendents’ National Leadership Network. She is past chair of the Northwest Georgia Regional Education Service Agency’s Board of Control and is a member of the Georgia System Charter Foundation Executive Board of Directors where she currently serves as chair. Governor Nathan Deal appointed Taylor to the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission in 2017 where she continues to serve. Taylor is a member of the Cognia Georgia Council and is Chairman for Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s Board of Directors. Governors Nathan Deal and Brian Kemp have included Taylor on Superintendent Advisory Councils.

Michele and her husband Joe have two children. Joseph is a junior at Georgia Tech in the Music Technology Program and Anna is a sophomore accounting student at Erskine College in South Carolina where she is also a member of the Flying Fleet Softball Team. Joe is employed by the Gordon County Clerk’s Office. All proud graduates of Calhoun High School, the Taylors are active in the community and attend Calhoun First Baptist Church.

Dr. Morris Leis, Superintendent of Coffee County Schools, started his tenure in Coffee County in August of 2011. He began his educational career as a social studies teacher in the Ben Hill County Schools. Throughout his career in Fitzgerald, he gained valuable experience serving as an alternative school director, athletic director, assistant principal and principal of Ben Hill Elementary and Fitzgerald High Schools.

In 2009, Dr. Leis became the superintendent of the Wayne County Schools in Jesup, Georgia. Dr. Leis successfully managed the system during the “great recession” while increasing student achievement.

Completing his 10th year serving as Superintendent of the Coffee County Schools, Dr. Leis has led the district through many initiatives. Dr. Leis successfully led the system through AdvancED/Cognia Accreditation Reviews in 2014 and 2019. Under his leadership, Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST) Referendums were overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2013 and 2018.

Test scores have positively increased, graduation rates have improved and the school system developed their own Safety Department providing a Chief of Police and police officers on every school campus. In 2017, the school system opened the new Wiregrass Regional College and Career Academy on the campus of Wiregrass Technical College. The school district was named the Georgia Charter System of the Year in 2018.

Dr. Kristina Brooks was appointed as the Superintendent of Baldwin County Schools on July 1, 2025. Previously serving as the superintendent of Chattahoochee County Schools, Dr. Brooks is known as a dedicated educator with almost 30 years of experience who champions early literacy and workforce pathways as the dual pillars of student success. Dr. Brooks’ mission is focused on ensuring every graduate is prepared to be Employed, Enlisted, or Enrolled. Most recently, Dr. Brooks was one of only 20 superintendents selected for the inaugural cohort of the Georgia Superintendents’ Workforce Leadership Academy, a collaboration between the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Georgia Power. Since assuming the role of Baldwin’s superintendent, Brooks has launched the comprehensive Baldwin Reads Program in partnership with local business Fouts Brothers and the Georgia College State University Athletic Department. This Reading Excellence Initiative cultivates a genuine love of reading while ensuring significantly more students attain grade level literacy skills. During her tenure as Superintendent of Chattahoochee County Schools (2019-2025), Chattahoochee County Elementary was named a Literacy Leader School by the Georgia Department of Education and was the only district to have all three school levels to be named as Military Flagship Schools.

Dr. Brooks began her career in public education in 1998 as a reading specialist and special education teacher. Previously, she has served as a building level administrator and central office leader in Hall, Oconee, and Jasper County schools. As a recipient of Georgia’s Pace Setter Award for Outstanding Special Education Services, Dr. Brooks has successfully led programs for English as a Second Language, gifted, and students with disabilities across suburban and rural Georgia.

Dr. Brooks received her undergraduate degree from the State University of West Georgia and a Master’s of Education from the University of North Georgia. She received her Educational Administration certification from the University of Georgia and was then awarded the prestigious Presidential Scholarship at Regent University in Virginia to pursue her Educational Doctorate with a focus on conducting a meta-analysis of reading research for Georgia students enrolled in Reading First schools.

Dr. Brooks is a member of Rotary Club of Milledgeville, Leadership Baldwin and Milledgeville-Baldwin Chamber of Commerce. She also serves as an executive board member for Ferst Readers of Baldwin County and Communities in School. She serves as the legislative chair for the Georgia School Superintendent’s Association and as an advisory member of the GSBA Superintendent Advisory Council.

She and her husband, Dwayne, attend Northridge Christian Church. They have two children. Wesley, a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, is a Senior Engineer for Capital One. Kate is pursuing her degree in Health Science while playing collegiate soccer at Central Georgia Technical College.

Dr. Mark Albertus, Superintendent of Carrollton City Schools

Dr. Albertus has served as superintendent of Carrollton City Schools since 2016, following eight years as principal of Carrollton High School. He began his career as an Army officer before transitioning to education in Gwinnett County,GA. As a teacher and coach, he won two state championships, and later moved into school leadership. A former NCAA Soccer Player of the Year, he earned his undergraduate degree from Presbyterian College and completed his master’s, specialist, and doctoral degrees at the University of Alabama.

At Carrollton, Dr. Albertus has led major initiatives including the launch of the International Baccalaureate program, the construction of a new high school featuring Georgia’s first donor-funded, full-length indoor activity center, and the expansion of business partnerships to support career pathways and student internships. Under his leadership, Carrollton City Schools was named one of the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Best Places to Work, and its Education Foundation has grown to nearly $2 million in assets.

He is a graduate of Leadership Carroll, Leadership Georgia, and the National Superintendent Certification Program. Dr. Albertus has chaired the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce and serves on multiple boards, including Tanner Medical Foundation, Charter School System Foundation, Carroll County Payroll Development Authority, US Selective Service, and the UWG Advisory Committee. He is also a deacon at First Baptist Church of Carrollton and is active in Kiwanis and Rotary.

Dr. Marc Feuerbach began his teaching career at Gordon Central High School where he was a special education teacher, and later he was appointed assistant principal. In 2010, he was named principal of Ashworth Middle School and became Calhoun Elementary School’s principal three years later. Marc served as principal at Cartersville High School from July 2014 – June 2018 before serving in his current role as superintendent.

Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Marc obtained his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Florida, his master’s degree from Kennesaw State University, his specialist degree from Georgia College and State University, and his doctorate from Valdosta State University.

He and his wife, Rebekah, have two children, Will and Addie. He enjoys spending time outside and being with his wife and children when he is not working. He and his family attend Cartersville First Baptist Church. An avid fan of leadership-focused material and experiences, Marc enjoyed his participation in Leadership Bartow in 2020. Currently, he serves as Chair of the Cartersville- Bartow Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for Advocates for Children. Marc received the 2022 President’s Award from the Georgia School Superintendents Association, of which he has been a member for six years. He has also been a member of Cartersville Rotary Club for ten years and the Professional Association of Georgia Educators for seventeen years.

Dr. Fred J. (Bubba) Longgrear is currently in his 9th year as Superintendent of Schools in Candler County (Metter), Georgia. He is a strong advocate for public education emphasizing flexible decision making at the local level with an intense focus on student achievement. He has a passion for Literacy and career development opportunities for all students. He has served in Candler County for 15 years and Tattnall County the previous 12 years in numerous roles including teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, and now superintendent. He currently serves as GSSA Secretary/Treasurer and also as Chairman of the Coastal Plains Education Charter High School Board.

He is an active Rotarian, Young Farmer member, and a member of many local boards. He and his wife Lisa as well as their three children- Jackson (20), Brooks (18), and Adysan (15) – are members of Cedar Street Baptist Church where he teaches the Crossroads Sunday School Class and serves as a Deacon.

Susan Avant is a retired educator and leader with more than 30 years of experience. She began her career in education in 1993 as a paraprofessional in Liberty County. She graduated from Georgia Southern University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in Education, and began teaching mathematics in Bryan County. Susan soon moved back to Liberty County and continued her career as a teacher and leader. During this time, she obtained a Master of Arts in Education in 2006, and Education Specialist in 2007 from Nova Southeastern University. After serving as a teacher and instructional coach at the school, Susan embarked on a new journey in district level leadership. She has served as a Mathematics Teaching and Learning Specialist, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, and Chief Academic Officer.

Susan currently serves on several advisory boards for teacher preparation programs and is a member of the First District RESA P20 Collaborative, working in conjunction with higher education partners to increase teacher effectiveness. While in Liberty County, she led the development and implementation of the charter for the Liberty County School System. She also led the strategic planning process and school improvement efforts for the district. During her leadership in Teaching and Learning, the Liberty County School System earned the GSBA Leading Edge Award and Apple Distinguished Program award for innovative programs in technology and professional learning.  In her leadership capacity, graduation rate has increased over the past five years. Susan has led the district in receiving numerous grants that promoted innovative best practices, resources, and professional learning for all staff.  She also serves on various professional committees and organizations within the district and community. 

Susan is married with two children. She enjoys spending time at their home in coastal Georgia with family and friends. 

With over 25 years experience in public affairs, 12 serving as Legislative Counsel and Policy Director for the Office of Lt. Governor, Irene Munn leads The Munn Firm, a workforce solutions, and government affairs consulting practice. Her focus is helping businesses strategically partner with Georgia’s College and Career Academies, high schools, and post-secondary education programs to create a well-trained talent pipeline for their region’s industry needs. Irene’s current workforce areas include manufacturing, healthcare, skilled trades, and support for charter high school career development.

Eric Waters served as CEO of the Floyd County Schools College & Career Academy from 2011 until he retired in 2022.  Under his leadership, the Academy received recognition as College & Career Academy of the year and produced the College and Career Academy Student of the Year.  Additionally, he has held positions in corporate leadership and as a small business owner.

Eric holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Masters’ Degrees in Business Administration, Health Administration, and Education; and a Specialist Degree in Education.

Eric has been an active member of many professional organizations including: Rotary Assistant District Governor, Rome 7 Hills Rotary President, Northwest Georgia Boy Scouts Chair S.T.E.M. Initiative, Rotary Group Study Exchange Program, New South Wales, Australia, Rome Floyd Chamber Board of Directors- Executive Committee, Workforce Investment Board of Directors-Youth Council, GCANN Legislative & Resolutions Committee, Georgia College & Career Academy Board of Directors-Executive Committee, I Works Advisory Board of Directors, FORD Next Generation Learning Community National Council Member, Georgia CTAE Leadership Advisory Council,  Rome Floyd Chamber Leadership Rome and Rome Free Clinic Board of Directors. 

Eric and his wife live in Rome.  They have two children.  He may be contacted through the Foundation or directly at ericwaters499@yahoo.com or 678-986-5571.

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